William f



NITED STATES WILLIAM F. GEORGE, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES ALFRED CHRISTIAN AND JAMES C. SHOUP, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

BRIDLE.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,259, dated October 25x 1887.

Application filed May 1, 1886. Serial No. 200.805. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. GEORGE, ol' the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Broom Bridles, of

which the following is a specification. My invention relates to metallic broombridles or skeleton frames which are employed lfor closely embracing brooms, and ro which, by keeping the brooms from spreading,

preserve their shape, enabling harder brushing to be done with the brooms without damage thereto, and therefore increasing vthe life of thebrooms.

The invention consists in novel combinations of parts, hereinafter particularly described, andpointed out in the claims, whereby I provide a bridle which is capable of ready adjustment in order to fit different-sized brooms and 2O handles, and in which the parts are so combined that the bridle may adapt itself freely to the exure or bending of the broom.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a broom and a portion of the handie having my improved bridle applied to it.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the bridle. Fig. 3 is a plan of the collar and portions of straps or braces extending therefrom. Fig. 4 is an elevation or end view of the oblong band which 3o embraces the broom, and a portion of one of the straps or braces to which the band is loosely pivoted. Fig. 5 represents an end elevation of the oblong band and a'strap or brace connected therewith by a lug or ear on the band engaging a slot inthe strap or brace, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates the broom, and A a portion of the handle. The bridle consists of three essential elements-namely, an oblong band, B, which encrcles the broom proper, A, a collar, C, which is fitted upon and adjustable .15 lengthwise of the handle A', and straps or braces D,Which extend from the collar C down,- ward and outward and are connected with the band B at the ends of its maj or diameter. By these straps or braces D the band B is supported in desired position on the broom. As 5o here represented, these several parts are formed of flatband metalsnch as hoop-iron, for eX- ample; but they may be of other metal or material.

In order to provide a band, B, which will tit differentsized brooms, I make the band adjustable in its length from one rounded end to the other. The band is composed of two pieces, which are of about equal length, and each of Awhich is of U shape, and the ends of these 6o two pieces are overlapped at the sides of the band B, as best shown in Fig. 2, and are secured by means of screws or bolts b, which pass through slots b in the overlapping end portions of the two sections of the band. vThe slots b provide for sliding one end portion upon the end portion which it overlaps, and thereby enables the length of the band B to be adj usted to suit the width of the broom to which V it is applied. The screws or bolts b properly 7o maintain the size of the band without any direct connection of the band with the broom proper. c

The lower ends of the straps or braces D may be .rigidly connected to the round ends of the band B by rivets o,- or said rivets may be and preferably are so formed and applied as to loosely pivot the band B to the braces D, as shown in Fig. 4, which latter arrangement enables the band B to swing or turn, as shown 8o by dotted lines in said figure, to accommodate tne leXure of the broom and avoid cutting the material of the broom.

The point of iiexure of the broom is near the band B, and hence it is important to have the straps pivotally connected with the band at their lower ends or at a point as near as possible to the point of fiexnre in the broom, and the pivoting of said straps or braces .to the collar C would not secure the same result. 9o

If desired, I may connect the braces D and band B by lugs or ears on one and engaging slots in the other, and thus dispense with rivets. In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown ears or` lugs s', having broad heads as cut from the 95 band B, and the braces D have in them slots s, which may be slid over the said ears when the brace D is turned into position parallel screw c may be inserted.

with the band, but which cannot slip off the lug or ear when the brace is swung into position at right angles to the band, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The collar C may consist of a single piece of lnetalbent into circular form and having its ends overlapped, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, and the circula-r form ofthe collar may be maintained by a screw, c, which, by acting as a setserew against the handle A', may serve to hold the collar in a position lengthwise of the handle. To enable the collar C to be adjusted to snit differentsized handles, one of its overlapping end portions-in thiscase the outer one-may be provided with two or more holes, e', through any one of which the The screw e may pass freely through any one of' the lioles c' in the outermost lapping portion ofthe collar G, and may be threaded into the hole in the innermost lapping` end portionv of the collar, as here shown. It will be understood that by adjusting the collar C lengthwise ofthe handle the band B may be set and held at different distances from the end of the broom, and hence may be adjusted so as to confine the broom at the desired place.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The broonrbridle herein described, eon- Sisting of a collar to iit the handle, an oblong band to iit the broorn,and straps or braces extending downward from the collar and pivoted to the band at the ends of its major diameter, the parallel sides of the band being nneonnceted with the collar, whereby provision is afforded for thc bandto adaptitself to the ilcx ure of the broom, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The eox'nbination of the collar C,the straps or braces D, and the oblong band connected with the lower ends of the straps or braces by lugs or ears on one and entering slots in the other, substantially as herein described.

\VILLIAM F. GEORGE. 4Yl'f'itnesses:

'MLNERT LINDEMAN, HENRY MOBRIDE. 

